Trailer Tires?

[Dave&Heide]

Hello All,
Just wondering, I recently visited my son-in-law in MS and he showed me the tires he had on his horse trailer. The seemed to have a thicker, stiffer sidewall and a harder rubber. My rig is presently using plain old car tires. Would upgrading to tires of that type be better? towing... durability... balance...????

[Pick]

Well, we all hope you don't have car tires on your Airstream, as they are VERY unsafe, with that kind of load. Most Airstreams take a 7.00 X 15" Load Range C or D TRUCK or TRAILER tire. I just purchased some for my Airstream at a local Firestone dealer for $90 each including mounting and high speed balancing. These were Bias Ply tires, that look like orginal vintage tires. Another forum member has recently purchased a Toyo radial tire that is a direct replacement.

[John]

Pick,

I have radial trailer tires on my A/S. Is that because it's a later model and yours is a vintage?

Putting radials on your trailer wouldn't negatively effect the handling, would it?

John

[53flyingcloud]

JOHN,
I'v ran TOYO on my A/S for almost 4 years now and, not even a hint of problem..None whatsoever~!~
I do have the ALCO rims tho...not steel rims.
That might be the one area where it could be a concern..
Radials seem to be better with ALCO and, the bias with the steel rims.
ciao

[John]

53 Flying Cloud,

My trailer has steel rims and I had radials on it when I bought, so I put new radials all the way around after buying it. Haven't had any problems and they're wearing evenly.

But I'm not a tire expert, so I don't know how Bias Ply or Radials would effect older/vintage trailers.

As far as steel rims & Alco rims, I have no idea which would or should be used.

John

[53flyingcloud]

John,
I hear what you're sayin..I did the same thing the first year.
It was after I traded off the steel for ALCO, that I heard th statement abt tires and rims..So, just to err on the right side..I posted what I heard. like you, I'm no expert on tires .
ciao

[John]

53,

Thanks for the infor!

How much were the Alco rims?

They do look nice on your trailer!

John

[Pick]

I bought 2 new bias ply for one reason. Actually 2 reasons. I had two tires that were new in 2000, and 2 that were 1993 tires according to the date stamps. So I replaced the 93 tires with new 2002 tires. So, if all goes well I shouldn't have to worry about tires for at least 5 years. Then I will probably HAVE to go to radials, if bias ply are no longer made in 2008.

[53flyingcloud]

John,
Good question..I just don't have the exact figure off the top of my head..The bill is in the A/S in Virginia. Seems like it was either 247 or 324? Trying to remember which and, if that, was with the labor as well.
I'll check the next time down and, let you know for sure.
Thanks for the nice comment.
ciao

[John]

Pick,

Since you had 2 recent bias ply, you just went with 2 more too save a couple of bucks. Don't blame you !

53,

Was this for all 4 wheels? I'm hoping so and that the $247 was the right price ! If you could PM me the price down the road, I'd be greatful.

My rims need to be repainted, but after seeing yours, I'm now wondering!!! By the way, do they clean easily?

John

[53flyingcloud]

John,
Sorry to burst your dream on the prices..
That price range was per each rim. I've had them for nearly 2 yrs now and, yes they're very easy to clean..I just wipe em down with a damp/dry rag. The center piece is stainless steel and, I use the same cleaner/polisher on it that, I use on the front lower stone guards. The tires themselves, I use this uv inhibitor called 303(?). It works very nicely except, after a long days worth of traveling...the tires seem to look 'brown'...But, It cleans up quickly.
I use the same stuff on the Burb's tires as well.(It's expenives stuff..seems as if I recall, in the 12 dollars range for a good size bottle) Reminds me, I need to get a new bottle`!!
Thanks for your nice comments. I have to admit, I enjoy looking at them...(my wife thinks I'm an A/S nut...SHE RIGHT~!@!)
About the only major item that needs replacing now, is the floor's carpet with some kind of wood. I've looked and, looked at the many different ones. Even considered the cork as a flooring, as I love'd the one shown earlier.
Any thoughts in that direction, from anyone, would be extremely helpful.
ciao

[John]

53,

That's just a little out of my price range!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So I'll just repaint my rims and put that money towards a new floor!

I too am ready to get rid of the carpet(Stanley Steamer has cleaned it twice in the last 12 months) and put in either wood or cork. Living fulltime and going in & out daily, it's a pain to continually put on & take off my shoes. Hopefully by the end of this summer I'll be able to afford it.

Tks again-John

[53flyingcloud]

John

I reckon that's the smart move. Look at the cork, from what I've seen..it supposedly can last as long as 50yrs in an industrial enviroment.

Which means, as a PO, you'll be thanked many times over..lol

let me know what you decide on a flooring and, as always..PICTURES~!~
ciao

[Ufatz]

John: I believe you asked for posts about replacing carpet. We did that to our 29' a couple years ago. Had a product similar to Pergo put in, over a leveling subfloor of some grey colored material. The people who did the work complained about all the cutting and fitting they had to do, but I just waved some more money at them and they went back to work! Actually, it ended up slighlty over $900 as I recall. But I would never go back to carpet!! We DO have a little throw rug between the beds and another in the galley. I assume we may have gained a few pounds from the change, but have not gotten around to weighing the trailer since.

[John]

Warren,

I bet you won't go back to carpets! I now have the mind set that I can't keep them nice and clean. I vacuum every couple of days, so at least their not dirty . I also have Stanley Steamer clean them every 6 months.

I've decided to go with the Cork flooring. It's warmer on your bare feet(I have a slight drag with my left leg and throw rugs are an accident waiting to happen), it weighs less and I feel it should be easier to make all of those cuts.

Thanks for your insights-John